The leader of California’s largest gay rights group is leaving his post after only a few months on the job.

Equality California announced Monday that Executive Director Roland Palencia will step down on Friday.

Palencia’s decision comes less than a week after the group said it would not lead a campaign in 2012 to overturn Proposition 8, the state’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages.

I had meant to blog on the last item, but with the Jewish Holy Days and other stuff on my plate, I haven’t had time to blog. (And well, in the past few days, haven’t been thinking about politics as much as most of us political bloggers normally do.) Quickly, don’t think it’s a good idea to put off repeal of Prop. 8. Given the current polls, a campaign to overturn the ban on state recognition of same-sex marriages could succeed if its leadership included Republicans. Maybe Mr. Palencia wasn’t willing to work with gay Republicans.

I had refrained form commenting on Palencia’s selection to head EqCA because I had hoped to arrange a meeting between gay conservatives and Palencia and didn’t want to compromise that process. I had reached out to several individuals close to and involved in the organization. They were optimistic we could arrange a meeting. Given that such a meeting seemed possible, I thought we might be more effective if we communicated our concerns privately before criticizing the new leadership publicly.

Perhaps, at a later date — as time allows — I may offer my thoughts on his selection and my hopes for his replacement.

I have no clue why Palencia is stepping down. All I can say is that it is an interesting development and that I wish him well in his future endeavors.

I somehow managed to get myself on Equality California’s email list. Their missives are in pretty standard gay-left boilerplate. Every appeal is over-the-top dramatic, the stock characters are cast as heroes and villains. I’m an Arizonan, but even if I were a Californian their appeals would not appeal to me.

This lifelong Californian agrees with Equality California’s decision not to pursue repeal of Prop 8 in 2012. I just don’t think enough time has passed, and polls don’t tell the whole story. There are a whole lot of weakly pro-gay straight people who still carry boatloads of anti-gay sentiment, which can be activated by clever campaigners. That’s who the pro-Prop 8 people were able to reach with their “gathering storm” and “a princess can marry a princess” ads late in the campaign to turn the election around. I think we’d be better off with a surer victory in 2016 rather than the much bigger chance of a second loss just 4 years after the first one.

I don’t know why Roland Palencia stepped down either. It does seem odd after being there for such a short time.

I’ll be honest: I voted Yes on 8 in 2008. I’m bisexual but think civil unions are the best way to go. Rather than postpone a move to overturn Proposition 8 I’d hit the reset button, focus on a national movement for civil unions, and not waste any more money and time on gay marriage.